Seeing a Way Forward: Dave Nuckols

Dave Nuckols is a 2019 General Conference delegate who also served on the Commission on a Way Forward. He spoke with UM News as part of “Seeing a Way Forward,” a video series featuring different perspectives of church leaders on the work of the Commission on a Way Forward.

Dave Nuckols serves on the board of the United Methodist Reconciling Ministries Network. He said that while the One Church Plan does require a lot of compromise for LGBTQ United Methodists, many of the reconciling churches he’s spoken with support the legislation.

There is much anxiety over the future of The United Methodist Church as the special 2019 General Conference draws near, but Dave Nuckols feels there is still hope if “inward-facing arguments” can be dropped in favor of focusing on the church’s mission to transform the world.

This is the 18th in a series of video interviews by United Methodist News Service. View all interviews.

Comments (3)

No explicit affirmation.

But there is an implicit affirmation in allowing marriages within the sanctuary and setting LGBT ministers apart for leadership. If the One Church Plan passes or no plan passes, conservative annual conferences will have a decision to make in the summer of 2019. If the Traditional Plan passes, then it will be full on battle royale, because the progressives don't want to leave. They want to protest. I don't see how you pass the Connectional Plan especially if 2/3rds of annual conferences have to affirm.

Hopefully, this all works out for the best.

Anonymous9 days ago

You are not listening to traditionalists

Continuing on in a morass of conflicting and contradictory theological plurality is NOT ACCEPTABLE. The church needs to go one direction or the other. Everybody needs their freedom to live out their beliefs. The reality is the One Church Plan does nothing more than make the progressive understanding an official teaching of the church. On a more pragmatic level, it also creates space to include those who have refused to abide by the current polity. There is no reason to believe that once progressive teaching is legitamized, there is absolutely no reason to believe they will back off and allow traditionalists to "do their thing". And then there is the expanded question of sexuality that is being ignored by the One Church Plan.

betsy10 days ago

I wish somebody would specifically explain

this statement:"the church’s mission to transform the world." After spending years cruising the internet listening to every voice I could find within the UMC, my impression is everybody has their own understanding of "the church’s mission to transform the world". I am also confused by some Bishops who refer to the 'United Methodist witness", again, I find no hint that everybody is operating from a single understanding of a "United Methodist witness".